Rev. Al Sharpton is the founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit civil rights organization headquartered in Harlem, New York, with over fifty Chapters nationwide. As one of the nation’s most-renowned civil rights leaders, Rev. Sharpton has been praised by President Barack Obama as “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden,” and by former President George W. Bush who said that “Al cares just as much as I care about making sure every child learns to read, write, add and subtract.”
Rev. Sharpton is currently the host of “PoliticsNation” on MSNBC that analyzes the top political and social news of the day featuring the country’s leading newsmakers. The show recently beat all of MSNBC and CNN primetime shows in the ratings in its demographic. Rev. Sharpton also hosts a nationally syndicated radio show “Keepin it Real” that is heard daily all over the country, and two local New York radio shows. Rev. Sharpton delivers live remarks at NAN’s weekly Saturday Rally at NAN’s Harlem headquarters the “House of Justice”
National Action Network, under Rev. Sharpton’s leadership has become the most active social justice organization in the country and President Obama said it candidly in his keynote address at NAN’s 20th anniversary Keepers of the Dream Awards Dinner, that National Action Network is not the National “Satisfaction” Network, it is the National “Action” Network, highlighting that “Action” is what Rev. Sharpton and NAN are about.
In the October 19th, 2009 issue of New York Magazine, Rev. Sharpton was featured as the only African-American listed among the “Top 12 Most Powerful People in New York City. A USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted in July 2008 called Rev. Sharpton the leader in the country that Blacks turn to speak for them on the issue of race, second only to then Senator Barack Obama. In February 2007, Rev. Sharpton was called “the most prominent civil rights activist in the nation” by the New York Daily News.
Rev. Sharpton is a champion for human rights and is passionate about the key issues that involve confronting human rights violations. One of his career highlights has been contributing to the end of the United States Navy exercises in Vieques, Puerto Rico, which proved to be poisoning the environment on the island.
Rev. Sharpton says his religious convictions are the basis for his life and on most Sundays he preaches to congregations across the nation. Rev. Sharpton has two daughters from his marriage to Kathy Jordan Sharpton, Dominique and Ashley. Dominique works as the Membership Director for National Action Network and produces NAN’s weekly live radio broadcast. Ashley currently attends college at Hampton University.
Rev. Sharpton was educated in New York public schools and attended Brooklyn College. He has an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Bethune-Cookman University, Virginia Union University, and an honorary degree from A.P. Bible College.
World Liberty TV, Team was on hand to cover Rev Al Sharpton’s, 25th Annual Conference & 2016 Keepers of The Dream Gala, watch this and more right here in our World Liberty TV, African-American & Caribbean Channels.